DANIELLE PARRY, PRESENTER: Next week a new memorial wall will be opened at Darwin's Military Museum in time for the 71st anniversary of the bombing of Darwin. It bears the names of all Allied personnel and civilians who died in northern Australia in the Second World War. They include 100 men who died after their ship, HMAS Armidale, was sunk by the Japanese off Timor in December 1942. A class of patrol boats has been named after the Armidale and one of its sailors is being considered for a posthumous Victoria Cross. But there are calls for the disaster to be recognised in a different way. Alison Middleton reports.

ALISON MIDDLETON, REPORTER: Darwin man Peter Caldwell never met his father. 23-year-old sailor Bill Beech died on board HMAS Armidale, just days before his son was born.

PETER CALDWELL: He died on the 1st of December 1942 and I was born on the 6th. I know that my Mum was told that he was probably dead round about the 4th of December. She thought maybe that had sent her into early labour. I'm sure both from his point of view and my point of view it would have been nice to know each other.

ALISON MIDDLETON: Bill Beech was among 100 men who died after HMAS Armidale was torpedoed by Japanese planes off Timor in December 1942. The ship had left Darwin as part of an operation to bolster Allied forces in Timor and evacuate Portuguese civilians.

PETER CALDWELL: We found out that he was killed by the strafing of the aircraft dive bombing the ship, torpedo bombing the ship.

ALISON MIDDLETON: Mr Caldwell's father is one of 1672 names inscribed on a new memorial at the Darwin Military Museum. The wall recognises all Allied personnel and civilians who died across northern Australia in the Second World War

DR TOM LEWIS, DARWIN MILITARY MUSEUM DIRECTOR: We think the Top End of Australia its military history has been neglected and we're here to put it right.

ALISON MIDDLETON: Adelaide military historian John Bradford is one of the memorial's three researchers. He's uncovered the names of 60 Dutch and Indonesian soldiers who died on board HMAS Armidale.

JOHN BRADFORD, NAVAL HISTORIAN: With those names it was possible at last to actually for the first time in Australia to see these men recognised.

DR RAY LEONARD, HMAS ARMIDALE SURVIVOR: Over many, many years I've often thought of those fellows. So in a nutshell I'm very, very pleased that they're now being recognised, belatedly.

ALISON MIDDLETON: Doctor Ray Leonard was among 49 men to survive the sinking of HMAS Armidale. The Victorian clearly remembers the moment the ship disappeared into the sea.

DR RAY LEONARD, HMAS ARMIDALE SURVIVOR: I knew in that instant we'd lost a ship, we'd lost our home and I knew a lot of my shipmates would have gone too.

ALISON MIDDLETON: Doctor Leonard spent eight days at sea with his shipmates awaiting rescue. He says their thoughts turned to Teddy Sheean. The badly wounded sailor had strapped himself to his gun and continued firing at the Japanese from the sinking ship.

DR RAY LEONARD, HMAS ARMIDALE SURVIVOR: A state of wonderment about whatever motivated the fellow to go back to his gun and effectively end his life still at the gun that puzzled us and we although not getting an answer we admired him, I think things like that bolstered some feelings of hope, and kept us rowing, even when we were about to give up.

ALISON MIDDLETON: Teddy Sheean is among 13 Australian servicemen now being considered for posthumous gallantry awards, including the Victoria Cross. A decision is expected in the coming months.

GARRY IVORY, TEDDY SHEEAN'S NEPHEW: I think it's important to the family it's important to the survivors, and most of all , it's important for morale in the navy because there's never been one Victoria Cross awarded to any navy person.

ALISON MIDDLETON: Garry Ivory says the award would not only recognise his uncle's bravery but increase awareness of what happened to HMAS Armidale.

GARRY IVORY, TEDDY SHEEAN'S NEPHEW: I think there has already has been a lot of lessons learned as I said the concealment is probably the best word for the early part of it, cover up, concealment, or whatever word you'd like to choose but losing 100 in one action you would you can imagine what today's society would think of that.

JOHN BRADFORD, NAVAL HISTORIAN: I'd like to think the present navy office would see their way to seeing that there is a strong case here for these men to finally be recognised not so much in terms of awards but in terms of that they were badly done by.

ALISON MIDDLETON: Historian John Bradford believes mistakes in planning the operation and the rescue effort cost lives - and should be officially acknowledged by the navy. He says it was a disaster that these men were never rescued, despite surviving for eight days on a raft.

JOHN BRADFORD, NAVAL HISTORIAN: They must have believed at that point that salvation was at hand, but they weren't to know that they only had possibly one day to live, because on subsequent missions, the men were never seen again.

DR TOM LEWIS, DARWIN MILITARY MUSEUM DIRECTOR: Armidale was a tragedy in many ways but it's easy to be wise after the event, and in the fog of war, when chaos is the usual way of doing things, as it happens to be in times of conflict then mistakes are made.

DR RAY LEONARD, HMAS ARMIDALE SURVIVOR: It was a different navy than it is now. And the present one can hardly be held responsible for what happened then.

ALISON MIDDLETON: For Peter Caldwell, it's important the navy acknowledges that mistakes were made.

PETER CALDWELL: There's still family. There is still many people, not only myself but lots of others, who are affected by the sinking. It is part of Australia's military history and a part that should receive appropriate prominence.

DANIELLE PARRY: The Navy says it's not appropriate to comment on decisions taken by individuals in the extreme stress of wartime operations. But it says it continues to be proud of the performance of its wartime members.